Wayne White

A graduate of Central High School, Wayne White attended Truman State University, where he graduated in 1993 with a bachelor of music degree in applied trumpet. After a brief dalliance with graduate school at the University of Minnesota, Wayne joined the US Army, and served for the next 21 years as a trumpet player in Army bands around the world. Promotions led to more responsibilities, and he eventually led musical groups as diverse as brass quintets, ceremonial bands, marching bands, jazz combos, and Dixieland bands. Wayne's responsibilities also included supervising operations, human resources, safety and security, and training sections in several bands, and he is a proud veteran of the Global War on Terror, having deployed to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq with the 10th Mountain Division Band.

Upon Wayne's retirement from the Army in 2014, he tried to figure out what he wanted to be now that he had grown up. Eventually he was hired to teach middle string orchestra in Lawton, Oklahoma, a position for which he was in no way prepared. Receiving a lot of help from some dear mentors, and barely keeping his head above water for a while, within 4 years Wayne was the strings coordinator for a district of 13,000 students, 6 secondary schools, and 15 elementary schools. His students at Lawton High School consistently received superior ratings at district and state contests, and several students have gone on to major in music.

For family reasons, Wayne resigned his teaching position in Lawton and made the difficult decision to leave his students in Lawton. He returned to Elvins in August 2023, and began to get involved in the local music scene, a scene that had changed dramatically since he left all those years ago. In addition to his duties at MAFAA, Wayne is also the drumline/percussion instructor for the Farmington Black Knight Band. He is excited to be involved once again in making music in St. Francois County, and for the opportunity to share his passion for music with new generations of young artists